May 4th, 2020: Belonging & Connection

 Finding Our 'Tribe' Can Restore Our Missing Sense Of Belonging ...
 
Zoom has become a household name for many businesses and families in recent weeks. Now the verb "to zoom" has taken a totally different meaning. It tells us that the need for human connection is essential to our well-being and our sense of belonging to a larger community and family. 

In Maslow's analysis of human needs, belonging comes right after safety. We are created for relationships. Each of us will form our sense of community and loves to belong to one. Some of us love to have many relationships and others just need a couple.

Our sense of belonging also grants us our own identity. That is why cultural formation is important to us. Different cultural celebrations are cherished among people around the world. Diet, spices, and food play a significant part in our well being. I was with my son a few years ago and he has his own "cultural group" who had their preference. At the time they were really into canapes so going out for that is excited for them.

Some people would say that our health, happiness, and motivation also depend on our sense of belonging. After all, the worst suffering that human beings have to endure is "loneliness" because it works against our fundamental needs. I used to work with high school kids on how to create a positive sense of peer pressure among themselves so that they can be well, confident, and excel. That works by the way.

Personally, for me, worship is not a religious activity but a celebration of belonging. Belong to God and his plan for the world. It is intuitive. It is also being in God's image. That might be why the most common temptation we hear in our head is that God doesn't really care for us anymore.

Romans 14:8
"for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s."

 

Popular posts from this blog

Aug 31st, 2024: Confession

Image
Dealing with pain sometimes affects our ability and flexibility. A physiotherapist friend gave me a set of home exercises to help with that. They are simple yet intense at the same time. Dealing with our human brokenness sometimes affects our ability to see and hear God. Our commitment to spiritual disciplines must be at the core of our relationship with God. One of the disciplines I have been trying to embrace more fully is confession. It’s not just about recognizing where we have gone wrong; it’s about how we have chosen to live our lives independently from God. It’s about whether we truly want God to be part of our lives. The absence of meaningful confession will damage our freedom to experience intimacy with God. "Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy." - Proverbs 28:13
Read more

Sept 4th, 2024: Praying in Images

Image
It has been a rough few days. Living in immense pain does not allow us much energy to think about anything. I ended up praying in images, and not many words came out of my mouth. Most of the images were of people I know. God knew that I was praying for them as their faces came to my mind. I did not need to mention the circumstances or situations of their lives—He knows. My heart was at peace as I ended my days with these images. He will take care of my body, and I know this because I was able to get some sleep. Tomorrow is in His hands.
Read more

Oct 1st, 2022: Be With Those Who Suffer

Image
  Listening to a young woman who shared her experience of being raped repeatedly by a family member for over four years as a teenager made my heart ache. The man who did that was a leader of a church. He was imprisoned for seven months and released. He was her stepfather. Her mother chose to pick him over her after his release. Her life has changed forever. She had to go to a foster home. Her foster parents helped her with her restoration and her faith in God. Her supervisor at work asked me to see her because someone at work was inappropriate toward her. That triggered many emotions within her. I did not expect the story I heard from her. The meeting took longer than I thought, and it was toward the end of the day. She kept talking about her anger and the pain she felt when men treated her like a subject. I knew that the best I could do was to listen. She told me she had not been able to tell anyone as much as with me. God reminded me of the true calling of being a pas...
Read more